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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27411757">Believe (In) Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angie13/pseuds/Angie13'>Angie13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lilo &amp; Stitch (2002), Monsters Inc. (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:29:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27411757</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angie13/pseuds/Angie13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes you have to search for someone who understands you and sometimes you get assigned to them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Boo (Monsters Inc.) &amp; Lilo Pelekai, Boo (Monsters Inc.)/Lilo Pelekai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Femslash Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Believe (In) Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveradept/gifts">silveradept</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dear Mary,</p>
<p>How are you?  I am fine.  My teacher said we should ask questions in our letters so that you have something to write back about.  Do you like fish?  Do you like Elvis?  Do you like cameras?  What kind of weather do you have?  Do you have a sister or a brother?  Do you have any pets?</p>
<p>Aloha,<br/>
Lilo Pelekai<br/>
Age 7</p>
<p>P.S.  That means goodbye and hello.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Lilo,</p>
<p>I am good.  I never had a penpal before.  This is fun.  Please do not stop writing to me.  I like fish but not to eat.  I have a goldfish in a bowl in my room and his name is Kitty.  My Mom says that my Grammy likes Elvis and I should ask her to play his music for me.  I promise I will do that so I can answer your question in my next letter.  </p>
<p>It is nice outside today but it will be cold soon because of winter.  I hope we get a lot of snow.  Do you like snow?  I wish I had a sister to play in it with me.  </p>
<p>What is your favorite color?  I like blue and green and purple.  Do you have any pets?  I have Kitty.</p>
<p>Goodbye,<br/>
Mary Gibbs</p>
<p>I am 7 too!</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Mary,</p>
<p>You are my first penpal too.  I promise that I will not stop writing to you.  Promise that you will not stop writing to me.  You can tell me about snow.  It does not snow here.  Does it look like shaved ice?  </p>
<p>I have a sister.  Do you want her?  You will have to give her back after a week.  I will miss her if she goes away.  Our Mom and Dad are dead so we are a broken family but it is good.  I love her even when she yells at me.</p>
<p>Those are a lot of colors.  I like blue.  Stitch is blue.  Stitch is my pet and my best friend.  We got him at the pound because they thought he was a dog.  He is not a dog.  He likes spaceships.  Have you been in a spaceship?</p>
<p>Aloha,<br/>
Lilo</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Lilo,</p>
<p>I am sorry to hear about your Mom and Dad.  So are my Mom and Dad.  My Mom says that they are watching over you because they love you always.  She is right.  People love us even when they do not see us every day.  I draw pictures of them so I can see them and I draw pictures of me and put them under the closet door.  </p>
<p>I have not been in a spaceship but it sounds fun.  Stitch sounds fun.  Would you draw me a picture of him?  I will draw you a picture of Sully and Mike.  They are not my pets but they are my best friends.  </p>
<p>Thank you for writing,<br/>
Mary</p>
<p>P.S. You should keep your sister.  She would be sad if you sent her to me even if I gave her cookies.</p>
<p>**********AGE 10**********</p>
<p>Dear Mary,</p>
<p>I had my tenth birthday party yesterday.  I did like I promised you I would do and asked people from school to come.  No one came.  I think they were busy.  I wish you could have come to the party.  Nani really wants to meet you.  She says you are a good influence on me.  I do not know about that but I know you are my friend and I want you to meet Nani and David and Stitch and Cobra Bubbles and Jumba and Pleakley.  They were all at the party and that was good.  It was fun.  Nani made a cake that was only a little bit crooked.  Stitch made me a lei.  When Cobra Bubbles was not looking, Jumba gave me a ray gun.  We ate and listened to Elvis and danced and laughed.  </p>
<p>I wanted to send you a piece of cake but Nani said it would not ship fast enough so please pretend I am sending you one.  Also here is another picture I drew of Stitch.  He is standing on Jumba’s head and teasing him.  They got into a fight right after I drew this and Pleakley got stomped by accident.</p>
<p>Aloha,<br/>
Lilo</p>
<p>P.S.  The doorbell just rang.  It was Elena.  She brought me a birthday card signed by her and Teresa and Yuki.  That was nice.  I knew they were my friends.  You are right.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Lilo,</p>
<p>I am glad that they gave you a card.  I bet they would have come to your party if Mertle would have let them.  She is mean.  She is not a good friend at all.  You deserve very good friends.  </p>
<p>I love the picture of Stitch and Jumba.  Next please draw me the ray gun.  I want to see it!  Maybe I can make one of my own if the picture shows me all of it.  I do not know what I would do with it but I will think of something.  Maybe I can put it in the science fair.  That is in two months.  I need to do something cool for it.  The closet door design is not working right and my new fish Mike Wazowski is not learning to do his tricks right.</p>
<p>Sully has not visited in months.  I miss him.  He still calls me Boo even though I am getting big.  It makes me laugh.</p>
<p>Tell Nani thank you for the pretend cake.  It is delicious.</p>
<p>Bye,<br/>
Mary</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Mary,</p>
<p>Here is your picture of the ray gun.  I drew it from as many sides as I could think of and then Stitch told me to draw a ruler next to parts of it so I think that should help you build it.  Then you can build me another one because Cobra Bubbles took it away from me.  He said kids are not supposed to have guns.  Ever.  I told him that I should have one because stuff happens and he said that nothing has happened for over a year.  I think he is being optimistic.  I know that evil hamster alien is still out there somewhere.</p>
<p>I hope you see Sully soon.  I am sure he misses you.  I know I would because we are friends and friends miss each other.  I would be sad if Stitch left so I am sure Sully is sad that he is away for now.  You could write him a letter and put it under the closet door.  That might work.</p>
<p>Aloha,<br/>
Lilo</p>
<p>P.S. Try a peanut butter sandwich on Mike Wazowski.  Pudge always likes them.</p>
<p>**********AGE 12**********</p>
<p>Dear Lilo,</p>
<p>You believe me about Sully and Mike, right?  Mom says it isn’t right to still have imaginary friends when you are a big girl going to seventh grade but I don’t care.  I know they are real.  So I don’t tell Mom or Dad about them anymore.  I know I can tell you everything, though.  You are my best friend even though we have never met in person.  Is that weird?  I don’t care.  It is true.</p>
<p>So I can tell you that Sully visited last night and it was fun.  He told me about what he was doing and how Mike was.  Mike is engaged!  Sully is going to be his best man.  Mike wants me to be his flower girl but they are still not really 100% about kids going through the closet doors so that might be a dream only.  I drew a picture for Sully to take back to him of the dress I would want.  I am sending you a picture of what I imagine the wedding party will look like.  It was hard trying to get the bow tie to look right on Mike.</p>
<p>How are you doing?  How is Stitch?  Did he fix the spaceship yet or is it still broken?</p>
<p>Always,<br/>
Boo</p>
<p>P.S. I know it sounds silly but you can call me Boo if you want.  Just you and Sully and Mike, okay?  If Stitch ever talks in a language I can understand, I will let him use it, too.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Boo,</p>
<p>I like that name.  It sounds fun and is short and you can shout it and it comes out happy.  Since you are happy, I know it fits.  Thank you for letting me use it.  And I believe you 100% about Sully and Mike.  Why wouldn’t I?  You told me all about them and behind the closet door.  I know you do not lie.  I have told you before that you are a good person and a good friend.  It makes sense that Mike would want you to be his flower girl.  Why didn’t you draw yourself in the picture you sent me?  They will think of a way to get you through the closet door.  You are their ohana.</p>
<p>Stitch did fix the spaceship.  Then he broke it again.  He is not a very good driver if I am being honest.</p>
<p>I wonder if Nani and David will ever get engaged.  I am getting old enough now to be left home alone.  I think I am going to tell them to go out alone more.  It would be good for them.  Stitch and I will behave.  He has not set anything on fire in 30 days.  It is a record.  Do you think Nani would make me her flower girl?</p>
<p>Aloha,<br/>
Lilo</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Lilo,</p>
<p>I think Nani would make you her maid of honor.  Maybe Stitch could be the ring bearer.  Do you think he would try to eat the rings?  Nani would be a beautiful bride and you would be the prettiest maid of honor ever.  </p>
<p>Good news!  Mike and Sully talked to someone named Roz and I am allowed to go to the wedding.  I think Mike might have just talked and talked and talked until they said yes.  He is very good at talking a lot.  Sully says it is Mike’s super power.  Now I have to think of how to get permission to go because Mom doesn’t think any of it is real.  If I can use my closet door, I can go and come back fast.</p>
<p>What kind of gift do you give monsters for their wedding?  You have such good ideas.  You have to help me think of something.  </p>
<p>Always,<br/>
Boo</p>
<p>P.S.  Tell Stitch he is a good boy for not setting things on fire.  I am proud of him.</p>
<p>P.P.S.  Look for a package next month for your birthday.  Mom and Dad are helping me put together something special.  Grammy even helped because she thinks you are very sweet and have very good taste for liking Elvis.</p>
<p>**********AGE 14**********</p>
<p>Dear Boo,</p>
<p>Nani and David came back from the hospital with the baby last week and it is weird.  No one tells you that babies look all scrunched up and wrinkly when they first come out.  This one is really loud, too, but he likes when Stitch and I lay on the floor by his crib.  He gets quiet and listens to me play records.  I love him.  They named him Mano which means shark.  I warned Nani that it will serve them right if he grows teeth fast and bites them for naming him that.</p>
<p>Can you please tell Sully to make sure Mano gets a nice monster in his closet?  I don’t want anyone to get hurt if one comes out that is trying too hard.  I have a baseball bat and my bedroom is next door.  I promise to try not to hurt anyone but Mano is my responsibility, too.  Also I can’t make promises for Stitch and he bites hard.  Can monsters get infections or rabies?</p>
<p>Aloha,<br/>
Lilo</p>
<p>P.S. I hope you like the picture of me holding Mano.  It is crooked because I let Stitch take it.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Lilo,</p>
<p>Mano is so cute!  He looks just like you and Nani.  Poor David.  I guess you will have to wait and see if Mano has his hair.  I remember you told me that was a favorite part of him years ago so Mano could do worse.  My Grammy is teaching me how to knit so I am going to make him a blanket.  I wanted to make you a scarf as my first project but then I thought a scarf would be silly when you live in Hawaii.  I will think of something else to make you and I will make sure it is either blue or red.</p>
<p>I already told Sully about Mano and he understands.  Actually, he said no monster has gone to any of your closets for the past five years because no one is brave enough.  I guess Stitch has been biting monsters for a while now without telling you!  Don’t worry.  None of them have caught rabies or infections.  Can an alien even get rabies?  Would it be space rabies?  I wonder what that would be like.  </p>
<p>I think I have a new idea for a story!  I will send you a copy, pinky promise swear.  You are my favorite editor.</p>
<p>Always,<br/>
Boo</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Boo,</p>
<p>I have come up with a new idea, too.  I am making Stitch and all of the experiments get or make me postcards when they go somewhere.  The Grand Councilwoman sent me one but I do not know how she found out I was doing that.  It was still very nice of her.  She is a lot nicer than people think.  I am keeping all of the postcards in a special book that Nani got me.  There is a frame in the cover so I put a picture of me and Nani and David and Mano and Stitch in it.</p>
<p>Mertle saw it and said it looked stupid.  I told her that she looked stupid.  I am glad I stopped trying to be friends with her.  You are a much nicer friend.  </p>
<p>I have told Stitch to stop biting the monsters when they visit, by the way.  He thought he was protecting me so I can’t be mad at him.  I know he loves us and doesn’t mean to make anyone sad.  But I told him that we have to make sure we are always setting a good example for Mano now that we are an aunt and uncle.  Or would Stitch be Mano’s cousin?  I wonder if Nani would know.  I will have to ask her.</p>
<p>I have put a postcard in this letter for you and it says DON’T FORGET THE STORY so you don’t forget to send me the story you wrote.  I am excited to see it.</p>
<p>Aloha,<br/>
Lilo</p>
<p>**********AGE 16**********</p>
<p>Dear Lilo,</p>
<p>Ugh.  School takes up too much time and boys are weird and I’m so done with it all.  I am so bored in class that I end up writing stories in the back pages of my notebook.  Just like you doodle.  But I got caught by my English teacher yesterday and she insisted I give her the story to read.  After class, I went up to her to get it back but she wouldn’t give it to me.  She wants to enter it in some contest.  I don’t know if I want to do that.  I’ve only ever let you and your family and my family read my stories.  </p>
<p>On top of that, this boy in my class named Kyle keeps staring at me and bumping against me when we go through the door at the same time when we leave our classes.  I have a feeling he is going to try asking me out and I don’t like him so I don’t want to.  There is nothing wrong with him.  He is nice enough, I guess, and seems smart which is a nice change for a boy.  I just don’t want to go on a date with him.  I know I should be honest about it, too, but I almost want to come up with a fib.</p>
<p>Why can’t you and Stitch come get me in his spaceship and we can fly off to explore everything?  I would rather spend my school hours in a tiny spaceship with you than here.  I would miss Mom and Dad and Sully and Mike but we could come back to visit regularly.  After all, you need to see Nani and David and Mano.  Mano especially as you need to defend your title of Best Aunt Ever.</p>
<p>So tell me what you have been doing?  Is your school better?  Are your teachers cooler?  Has Mertle exploded with acne and become a social pariah yet?</p>
<p>Always,<br/>
Boo</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Boo,</p>
<p>Mertle is moving away at the end of the school year so I will only be able to report her acne status until then.  As of now, nothing new but it is okay.  She never tells me I’m stupid anymore and barely even looks at me so I don’t care.  Please stop worrying about her.  You are a better friend than anyone.  Also Yuki, Elena, and Teresa are more my friends now.  We all still take hula class together.</p>
<p>School is okay.  I don’t like English because the books they make us read are boring.  I would rather read your stories or the books I get myself at the library.  I like science and math, though.  Math is a little hard sometimes but it is important to science so I work at it all of the time.  We had to dissect a shark last week and my lab partner threw up everywhere.  It smelled bad but not enough to throw up.  It was really interesting to see how everything fit together.</p>
<p>I think you should let your teacher enter your story into the contest.  Everyone should know how good you are.  I know I would give you first prize.  I save every story you send me and put it in a binder.  Sometimes I draw pictures to go with them.  </p>
<p>I think you should tell Kyle what you want to tell him.  You can be his friend but not date him if you want.  If he is smart like you say, he will be happy with that.  Like Nani always tells me, you are special and strong and don’t have to say yes when you mean no.  You being me when Nani tells me.  Not you you.  You know what I mean.  I think Nani would like me to go out on dates but I don’t want to and she would never make me.  Because that is all what it is about - autonomy.</p>
<p>Aloha,<br/>
Lilo</p>
<p>P.S.  Mano’s favorite word is no and we are trying to teach him other things to say because he thinks no means everything.  He still carries around the blanket you made him and sleeps with it every night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>**********AGE 18**********</p>
<p>Dear Lilo,</p>
<p>I can’t wait to see you!  I can’t believe we are finally going to meet after all these years!  I know it isn’t Graceland but we will have fun in San Diego.  The zoo is amazing and I hear that Old Town is perfect for walking around and browsing.  Plus we will be by the water so you shouldn’t feel too homesick for Kauai.  I am so excited.  This is the best graduation gift Mom and Dad could have given me.  I am going to plan so many things for us to do.</p>
<p>Unless you don’t want to do anything and then we can just chill and talk.  Whatever we do, I know we are going to have fun.  We’ve been waiting eleven years for this!  Don’t forget your camera.  I am designating you our official picture-taker because you are far better at framing things than I am.  I promise to carry your bag or bags.  I don’t know how elaborate your camera rig has gotten lately.  Speaking of cameras, I am bringing you a silly little gift.  I hope you don't laugh at it.  I think you will like it.  I hope you will.</p>
<p>So I have the date marked on my calendar and am x-ing out the days before I go to bed at night.  I thought about doing it in the morning but then realized I would have to get through a full, long day of THAT day before it actually counted so I stopped that.  You probably would have figured that out right away.  Smarty pants.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to bring a swimsuit.  Our hotel has a pool and a hot tub!  </p>
<p>See you soon!<br/>
One month and counting!<br/>
Boo</p>
<p>P.S. We are going to have to give serious thought about how to smuggle Stitch into the hotel.  You probably should start explaining the concept of secrecy and being subtle to him now.</p>
<p>P.P.S.  The picture I am sending is from prom and I think I look pretty good.  Kyle and I went but only as friends.  Geez, do you remember all those years ago when he asked me out?  He turned out pretty cool and he is the most ridiculously bad dancer on the planet.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Dear Boo,</p>
<p>That was the best vacation I have ever had.  Don’t tell Nani but it was better than the time she and David took me to Graceland.  It was because I was with you.  I love Nani and David but you’re different and I love you, too.  Stitch says you are okay but I know that means he likes you, too.  It was so excellent to meet Sully and Mike, too.  Even though he says no, I really think Stitch has met Sully before back when we were having the issues with my closet door and then with Mano’s closet door.  It is a good thing that Sully forgives, I guess.</p>
<p>Thank you so much again for the disposable cameras.  I can’t believe you remembered how I only used those for years when I was little.  Nani would have to take them to get developed at least twice a week.  It makes me so happy that you remembered and gave those to me and we filled each one up together.  I think those pictures are going to turn out even better than the ones I took with the camera I brought along.</p>
<p>I did not realize you were so tall, by the way.  I think I keep thinking of us as little kids still.  But we are both pretty much adults now, right?  We both survived high school and now you are going to college.  I know it is much better for me to take my gap year but I wish I could be going to college with you.  Can you imagine if we were roommates?  With Stitch and Sully and Mike visiting?  We could get a fish together and stay up all night talking to each other.  Maybe we can live together some day.  If you would like to?  I would like to.  It was really nice waking up to you.</p>
<p>Aloha,<br/>
Love,<br/>
Lilo</p>
<p>**********</p>
<p>“Lilo, I am going to embarrass myself but I have to ask it because I can’t sleep and it’s driving me crazy.”  </p>
<p>Mary’s breath had a rushed, breathless quality to it that made Lilo tilt her head and cradle the phone better to her ear.  Mary often spoke fast but this was different.  Mary also did not usually call at random times because long distance calls got expensive - especially between them because they could and had talked for hours to each other.  Lilo frowned.  “Don’t go crazy,” she ordered mildly.  “Just tell me.  It’s okay.  We’re friends.”</p>
<p>“See that’s the thing.  We’re friends.  Best friends.  You’re my absolute best friend and I can’t thank Mrs. Newtown enough for making us be pen pals.  You never thought I was crazy when I talked about Sully and Mike.  You accepted everything I said as gospel truth.  You told me all of your adventures and sent me pictures and were always the best.  You helped me get up enough courage to submit my stories to magazines.  You also made our trip the absolute best vacation ever.”  Mary gulped a breath.  “And I love you.”</p>
<p>“I love you, too.”</p>
<p>“No, see, I mean I love you.  Like really love you.  Like roses and moonlight and soppy looks and all that.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”  Lilo settled into the chair next to the phone while carefully keeping it cradled against her ear.  She did not want to risk missing a single breath.  Everything seemed immeasurably important at that moment.</p>
<p>“... Oh.”  Mary gave a brittle, little laugh.  “So I just ruined it, didn’t I?  I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“No!  I mean…”  Lilo took a breath and modulated her voice.  She hated how it would come out in an abrupt shout when she felt too much all at once.  While Mary had not commented on it at all during their vacation or their phone calls over the years, many other people had and left her all too aware that it was somehow wrong.  She sighed out the breath.  “You didn’t ruin anything.  You’re right.  About all of it.  Roses and moonlight and whatever else you just said.  Also how you never laugh at me and I never get tired of looking at you or listening to you.” </p>
<p>Lilo paused and swallowed.  “You’re my ohana, Boo.  I love you.”  </p>
<p>“Ohana?”  Mary repeated in a soft, tentative voice.</p>
<p>“Ohana,” she echoed firmly, “but also a different love than that.”  Lilo realized she was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt.  “I love you like I want to be with you.  Can we be together like that?”</p>
<p>“Yes!  Oh, yes.”  Mary laughed again but this time the sound made Lilo’s heart skip a beat in happy response.  It was a proper Boo Laugh, part giggle, part chuckle, all delight and freedom.  “So then what you said in your letter… I was thinking…”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“How would you feel about doing your gap year on the mainland in a city that just happened to be in the same city where my college was?”</p>
<p>Lilo felt her grin spread impossibly wide.  “I think that would be the best feeling in the world.  Let’s do that.”</p>
<p>It would mean one heck of a conversation with Nani but, well, her sister had always said Boo was a good influence on her, right?</p>
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